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Saturday, 28 November 2015

Guest Post: Why I Love Christmas by Rebecca Pugh

Today I'm delighted to be joined by Rebecca Pugh from Beccas Boooks on the blog as part of the #CarinaChristmas week, where she tells us why she adores this time of year - thank you Becca for this fab festive post!

Why I Love Christmas

Rebecca Pugh

Christmas truly is the most magical, wonderful time of year for me and my
family, but I’ve had a hard time trying to pinpoint exactly why it is that I
love it so much. Is it the food? Is it the music? Is it the excitement of
giving and receiving gifts? Is it being surrounded by my family? To tell you
the truth, I love all of that, but I do believe that it’s the last thing on
that list that makes me love it so much.

I have a massive family. Huge. And being the eldest of seven children means
that I’ve been able to watch each of them grow up. We’ve shared many, many
Christmases together, crowding the lounge carpet as we unwrap presents with
glee, flinging wrapping paper here, there and everywhere.

Many Christmas
dinners have been had too, of course, with a few squabbles thrown into the mix
for added measure, because it wouldn’t be us if there weren’t any.

The years,
despite only being twenty-two, seem to have slipped by in the blink of an eye,
and as I get older, I’m becoming more and more aware of the fact that one day,
those fantastic Christmas mornings will be happening without me, because I’ll
be hosting my very own Christmas.

It makes me so sad to think that there’ll
come a Christmas where I won’t be in the throes of it with my brothers and
sisters, and perhaps that’s why I make the most of the Christmases we still
have together. I’ll still go home of course, to visit everyone on Christmas
Day, but I know it won’t be the same.

Nothing beats waking up at stupid o’clock
in the morning and waiting patiently, with a cup of coffee, for my siblings to
join me in the present-strewn lounge, one by one, sleepy-eyed and full of
yawns. I’m aware that those Christmases will one day become memories that I’ll
tell to my own children perhaps, maybe even my grandchildren and so, until it
happens, I cling on to these Christmases at home for dear life, because I will
miss them so, so much once they’re gone.

That’s not to say I’m completely dismissing the other reasons as to why
Christmas is so fabulously exciting. If you know me at all, you’ll know that
I’m incredibly annoying when it comes to the festive season, so much so that I
begin to do even my own head in with my childlike glee, excitement and
enthusiasm.

I adore the lead-up to the big day.

I love seeing the Christmas decorations,
writing out my Christmas cards, playing all of my favourite Christmas songs and
even buying Christmas-scented air fresheners and candles for the bedroom.
There’s something cosy about the frost, if that makes sense? How it bites and
nips at your cheeks each time you step outside, as if reminding you of
Christmas and its arrival. I love wrapping up warm, mittens and scarf included,
and wearing two pairs of socks to keep my toes warm. I love the Christmas books
that perch prettily on the shop shelves like Robin red-breasts on a tree
branch, and the abundance of festive movies that begin to make their way onto
the TV, perfect for any Sunday afternoon with a hot chocolate in hand.

I’m a sucker for the commercial side of things, but the reason as to why I love
Christmas so much really does lie with my family. If it wasn’t for them, my
Christmas wouldn’t the same. I can’t even imagine how my Christmas would look
without them, the thought actually frightens me if I’m going to be honest. They
make my Christmases magical, and so worth the year-long wait.

So, no matter what you’re doing with yourselves this Christmas, I hope you make
some magical memories that you’ll keep safe and snug in your heart.

Rebecca Pugh grew up in the green county of
Shropshire, with a mind full of fairy-tales and happy endings.

Enchanted by
true love and Disney Princesses, she decided that no matter what life threw her
way, she’d continue to see the world through a child’s eyes.

Through the pages
of countless books, her adoration of reading blossomed, and it didn’t take long
for her to fall under the spell of hundreds of authors’ words.

Now, Rebecca’s own story has taken a fairy-tale like turn, and at 22, her dream
has come true. With her faithful companions: Bonnie the dog, her partner, and
her gigantic family by her side, Rebecca is ready to share her stories with
readers who enjoy falling in love and losing themselves within beautiful,
fictional worlds.

Rebecca Pugh is the author of women’s fiction and romance, her all-time
favourite genres. After all, who doesn’t enjoy a good swoon?

Return to Bluebell Hill, Rebecca’s debut novel, was published 18th June 2015 by
Carina UK. Her second novel, A Home in Sunset Bay, follows in February 2016.